The LA Film Festival will take place this year from June 1 – June 9 at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood and Culver City, and is one of the largest and most diverse film festivals in the country. Organizers of the festival state that 43% of the competition films in this year’s festival were directed by women and 38% were directed by people of color.

“There are artists of color out there working, and they need support and recognition and the spotlight to transition into the mainstream.” – Stephanie Allain, Director of the LA Film Festival

Today we are placing a well-deserved spotlight on actress and filmmaker Anisia Uzeyman. Uzeyman will make her feature film directorial debut with Dreamstates next month at the LA Film Festival (LAFF) on June 3rd. Dreamstates was filmed in thirty-two different states over the course of fourty-two days and was shot entirely on two iPhones. This is the first feature film to emerge from America’s underground Afro-Punk scene.

Musician, poet, and actor, Saul Williams stars in this project alongside Uzeman, and the film revolves around two artists (Williams and Uzeyman) who discover their love for one another in their dreams and reality while touring the United States with some of the most influential figures of the Afro-Punk movement. Williams also provides the soundtrack for the film which serves as a strong force behind the narrative.

The full synopsis of the film is below:

“Equal parts love story, road movie, and Americana, it tells the haunting tale of two wayward souls (Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman) discover their love for one another in their dreams and reality while touring the United States with some of the most pivotal figures of the Afro-Punk movement.

Filmed within the enclosed spaces, crowds, and the vast and varying landscapes of 32 contemporary American states using two iPhones, the film paints a portrait of modern-day America that is simultaneously sultry, sensual, and quixotic – all from the unique perspective of an outsider whose burgeoning love for another human soul is intertwined with a burgeoning love for the soul of a country.”

About The Author

K. Nicole Mills is the Founder of HBR Media. She transitioned from Wall Street to television and film development, and has worked at NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures, and Showtime Networks. She currently develops digital programming for premium networks. Reach out anytime! info@hbrmedia.org